Just Winning Would Be Nice

Even Eagles Aren't Pushovers for the Giants

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—By now you know that the Giants are long shots to make the playoffs.

If the defending Super Bowl champions are to reach the postseason, at least four results must fall their way on the final weekend of the regular season. Given that one of those outcomes involves a victory by the Detroit Lions, it's fair to say it's a bit of a stretch.

But of all the implausible things that have to happen for this team to make it into the playoffs, it is no exaggeration to say that the most far-fetched of all of them right now may be the Giants actually winning a football game.

This is what it has come to for the 2012 Giants, a team that was once 6-2 and as recently as three weeks ago seemingly had the NFC East title sewn up. Now, following blowout losses against Atlanta and Baltimore the past two weeks, the Giants have so many flaws to address and problems to resolve that Sunday's opponents, the 4-11 Philadelphia Eagles, look like a juggernaut by comparison.

"You're going to ask me about the playoff scenarios and all of that business," coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday. "My concern is that our team plays well in the 16th game of the year. That's my concern."

But if the Giants are to keep their distant playoff hopes alive, here are three things they must fix to stand any chance of winning their final game of the year:

Fix the offensive line

The Giants had allowed the fewest sacks in the league entering Sunday's game against the Ravens, but a series of unexpected breakdowns in pass protection have done as much as anything to derail the offense during the team's recent slide.

Sunday in Baltimore, Eli Manning attempted 32 passes and was under duress on almost every one. In total, he was sacked three times and pressured on 15 occasions, according to the website Pro Football Focus. The result: Manning completed just 50% of his passes and the Giants were unable to sustain drives.

No one has been more surprised by the struggles in pass protection than the Giants themselves—"It's hard to explain," said guard Chris Snee—but the answer could be as straightforward as the fact that this group is simply too banged up.

Having been limited in practice all week, Snee surrendered a sack and committed two penalties against Baltimore.

Backup lineman Jim Cordle, who impressed coaches in limited action against Atlanta, could step in if the Giants decide to give Snee a rest.

Cut out deep catches

Of all the issues that have afflicted this team during its late-season swoon, none has been as glaring as the defense's habit of giving up huge plays in the passing game. In the past two weeks, the Giants have surrendered 11 completions of 15 yards or more, with four of those coming on critical third-down plays.

Corey Webster was the most conspicuous culprit on Sunday, getting burned a handful of times. But for all of his struggles, the deep completions are also related to the Giants' defensive scheme.

The Giants have spent much of the past two games in a defensive alignment known as "quarters coverage," in which four defensive backs are each responsible for patrolling one quarter of the field. Though the scheme allows the defense to mix up zone and man-to-man coverage, it usually leaves cornerbacks one-on-one against opposing receivers with no help from a deep safety. Given the struggles that Webster and rookie Jayron Hosley have had on deep passes in recent weeks, the Giants may revert to a coverage that gives their cornerbacks greater protection.

Brush up on third down

One reason the Giants have been so bad lately: They haven't had the ball.

The Giants have run just 92 offensive plays in the past two games combined; their opponents have run 148. "There's no question that it's hurt us," Coughlin said.

The disparity boils down to the Giants' performance on third down, where they have converted on just 6 of 20 attempts (30%) while allowing their opponents to convert on 20 of 31 (65%). If they can improve those numbers against an Eagles team that ranks in the bottom third in the NFL both offensively and defensively on third down, the Giants may even end the season on a high.

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